JULY NEWSLETTER 2019
PUKEKOHE PARK UPCOMING EVENTS For more information on upcoming events and to book tickets, visit www.PukekohePark.co.nz
THOROUGHBRED RACING Panhead Boys Day Out at the Races Saturday 10th August 2019 Oscar On Main Supporters Club Raceday Wednesday 4th September 2019 NZ Spinal Trust Charity Raceday Sunday 22nd September 2019 Counties Punters Competiton Saturday 2nd November 2019 SsangYong Counties Cup Saturday 23rd November 2019 Twilight Christmas Racing Wednesday 4th December 2019
MOTORSPORT & CYCLING Circuit Breaker Cycling Club Weekdays 5pm - 8pm ITM Auckland Supersprint Friday 13th - Sunday 15th September 2019
A WORD FROM OUR CHAIRMAN
With July over, we are now well into winter period bringing as it does the rain and the cold. Nonetheless our racing continued and included in July was the transfer of a Waipa raceday to Counties.
This day along with all meetings in 2019 was well attended resulting in good feedback from our parent body NZTR as to our betting turnover and from our members who experinced enjoyable days. The good turnovers can be attributed to the big fields we have attracted for our meetings, and this is due to the state of our track which continues to receive a big tick from Northern based trainers and jockeys. All the accolades should be directed at our track manager Bryce Mildon and his team. Regretfully I must advise of the resignation from our Board of the Vice-chair Anna Stove. Anna has been appointed as a member of RITA (Racing Industry Transition Agency) and consequently has had to stand down from the CRC Board, given the conflict of interest. Anna’s input will be missed but she remains a valuable CRC member and may well return to CRC Board at a later date. My own term as CRC Chairman will cease with at the AGM this October and I will not be seeking re-election, however, I will remain on the Board as the immediate past Chairman for a further year to support the new incoming Chairman and Board. The members’ race day draw continues to remain “unstruck” with local trainer and member Lance Noble not in attendance at our last meeting. So, I remind you all to be in attendance for the 10th of August meeting when the draw will “jackpot” to $500. As well that day everyone on course having a $50 bet can win a 10% share in a racehorse courtesy of Haunui Farm. We would like to thank our commercial partners Haunui Farm for their continued support and this fabulous incentive. On the subject of support for the Club, don’t forget our Supporters Club. I would urge all members and honorary members to consider buying into this scheme. It’s exciting to sponsor a race and you could also win a trip for two to the Gold Coast courtesy of our friends at “Oscar On Main” in Main Beach on the Gold Coast.
- Steve Cole
OTHER EVENTS Girls On Track Bitchin’ Bingo Friday 27th September 2019 Big Little Christmas Party Friday 13th December 2019
THE TEAM
CHAIRMAN Steve Cole HONORARY TREASURER Shane McAlister DIRECTORS Mark Chitty, Brian Collins, John Crawford, Barrie Duckworth, Bob Price, Nigel Tiley RACEDAY STEWARDS John Bennett, Heather McGuire, Michael Rogers GENERAL MANAGER Greg Mitchell | 029 233 3052 MARKETING AND SPONSORSHIP MANAGER Paxton Conder | 029 238 8049 ADMINISTRATION Anne Pointon FUNCTION MANAGER Fleur Johnston | 09 239 2080 HEAD CHEF M J Fox FUNCTION CO-ORDINATOR Kristina Salmons TRACK MANAGER Bryce Mildon | 029 285 8557 COURSE STAFF Clive Bennett, Peter Fearon, Steve Goodin, Ian Schofield, Shaun Patterson, Emery White (Ass. Track Manager) PUKEKOHE MOTORSPORT LTD Paul Fallon 021 851 711 | Gary Stirling
2019 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 6.30PM THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER 2019 This year the Annual General meeting is going to be held on an Evening during the week, the Annual Report will be online and a link sent to Members to access. A hard copy will be available from the Office if required.
www.PukekohePark.co.nz FAREWELL TO OUR VICE CHAIR It saddens us to inform our members of the resignation of our Vice Chair, Anna Stove, due to her recent appointment to the board of RITA. The Minister of Racing saw her Vice Chair CRC position as a conflict of interest. Anna has been a huge asset to the Counties Racing Club committee over the last two seasons. Please join us in sending her our sincere gratitude for all her hard work & enthusiasm and we wish her all the best in her new venture. The entire racing industry will be better off if RITA is successful. Dear Steve, Due to my recent RITA appointment & the perceived conflict of interest with me also being on the Board of CRC, I hereby tender my resignation as Director & Vice Chair from 1st July 2019. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the CRC board & I believe that we have achieved a lot in the last 2 years. I personally want to thank you for your support & guidance. I will of course continue to be an active Counties member & will obviously be attending race day Best of luck for the coming season, Regards Anna Stove
Quarterly Newsletter | April 2019
TRACK UPDATE
TRACK TALK There has been a steady flow of winners out of the Pukekohe Park over the past few months from trainers at all levels from Class A trainers to Owner trainers. The Collett stable has been ticking along with a few young horses breaking maiden status and working their way through the grades. Including the likes of Flourobus, Von Trapp, My Callisto and Massachusetts. The stable will finish the season with 16 winners, two more than last year. The Tiley stable have also had a share of winners since the last newsletter, including a smart well-bred filly by the name of Gorgeous Geisha, and a cracking two-year-old in Rodini. That stable finishes the season with a total of 25 winners. Since the last newsletter Leanne Poulson collected a double with Air Centre, a five-year-old Gold Centre mare, from a family that Leanne has trained with success for a number of years. There are not many jumpers prepared by trainers at Pukekohe Park, but Rudy Leifting always has a team and his grand old campaigner Just Got Home provided him with a win in an open steeplechase at Te Aroha recently. Now an 11-year-old he has won twice over the Te Aroha steeplechasing course and been placed twice as well. Lesley Munro who holds a Class B licence has had a bit of success lately with wins with Zenntari and Twin Spinner. Zenntari who won at the local meeting on the 20th of June, and Twin Spinner who won at the July Counties meeting. Both horses were ridden by Kavish Chowdhoory who is apprenticed to Richard Collett.
BRYCE MILDON | TRACK MANAGER
WOW, what a day at Lindauer Ladies Day this year, with over 260 ladies in the Oaks Lounge, there was a great atmosphere on course that was enjoyed by many. To see this crowd on a mid-week industry raceday is a huge achievement and we are thrilled with how the day ran. The feedback that was received from vendors, attendees and sponsors was all extremely positive, some saying one the best Ladies Day events New Zealand wide! The introduction of the Winter Fashion in the Field was certainly a highlight and the event brought along some well-regarded followers of the fashion industry. The Supreme Winner was Claire Hahn dressed in a beautiful vintage outfit, followed by Supreme Runner Up, Eleanor Campbell. This event was very well supported with many participants competing for the grand prize of a $1500 Diamond necklace, kindly sponsored by Michael Hill Jewellers Pukekohe. The function lounge looked beautiful as always thanks to our function center teamand the statement piece of the stunning flower wall kindly sponsored by Stellar Backdrops really enhanced the look of the room. Ladies Day certainly had a huge impact this year and we were overwhelmed by the growth of the event, we are now looking forward to seeing the ladies outfits take the stage in the Fashion in the Field on Counties Cup Day.
We are now well into winter and after a dry first half of the year the rain has now started to arrive! we have run our final race meeting for the season, overall we are happy with the way the track has raced for the majority of the season and we are hoping that next season we can find some more improvement with the track and hopefully carry on the upward trend. The training centre was relatively quiet through June and early July bit horse numbers have started to pick up during the second half of July. During the autumn we done some renovation work on the number 1 grass to fix some minor issues, the track has had a good rest now and will be open again
CHARITY RACEDAY
for use on August 1st. The trainers have been very patient whilst we have undertaken these works and we thank them for working with us to undertake these improvements.
Our next race meeting is on August 10th where we will race with the rail in true Sunday position, hopefully weather Gods are kind to us between now and 22nd the September then!
Featuring the ‘Celebrity Hopper 100’ We areand still‘Jockeyz on the lookout a turf apprentice/Trainee and casual staff for n Kartzfor Trot’
tapping back duties, if you know of anyone that would be suitable for either of these roles please let us know.
A fundraising luncheon trackside in the Oaks Lounge Tickets: $85pp or $800 for table of 10 Includes drink on arrival, buffet lunch, dessert & more!
Gates open 11 am
He spent a few months on loan to the Pitman stable in Riccarton with quite a bit of success and will finish the season with 42 winners under his belt. A promising young mare who has attracted a bit of attention around the Pukekohe track is the pretty grey Lilly Thunder. She has now had nine starts for four wins including a double in May. She is trained by Patsy Riley who shares in the owners with the mare’s breeder Raelyn Wallbank, and Riley’s daughter Nicole Sims, who incidentally is a recent addition to the presenting team at Radio Trackside. Lilly Thunder was ridden in those two wins by Rowena Smyth who is among the jockeys based at Pukekohe Park who have been riding with a lot of success lately, and earlier in the season was associated with the group one winning filly Verry Elleegant. Sam Spratt will finish the season with 59 wins and since the last newsletter that includes winning the listed Castletown Stakes on Flaunting. Andrew Calder has had a resurgence in his wins as the season winds down and will finish with 44 wins and in early May teamed up with Speedy Meady to win the Gr.2 Cambridge Breeders Stakes. On the subject of jockeys Alysha Collett returned to the saddle in late June, fully recovered from the back injury she sustained in Singapore late last year. She has unfinished business in Singapore and will return there to ride as soon as her visa comes through. A further congratulations to Pukekohe Park trainers, Annabelle Johnson, Grant Tucker, Natalie Tanner and the Rogers Stable who have all had recent winners.
For event details & tickets visit PukekohePark.co.nz
CIRCUIT ROUND UP
PAUL FALLON | CIRCUIT MANAGER | PUKEKOHE MOTORSPORT
It’s been a year now that the motor racing circuit has been running under new management and we feel that we have made excellent progress. Repeat business from years gone by has remained steady with regular bookings still coming in from our mid-week hirers and the traditional car club bookings are still as strong as they were since new management started. New events have been one of the focuses of the new team and we’re pleased to say that this has increased to a point where the summer months weekends are relatively full. As referred to in my last report and as I write this, I can say that we are 99% confirmed to host a round of the International Toyota Racing Series and the newly announced Touring Car Racing Series which is also an international formula. This is scheduled for the second weekend in February and will bring with it significant international media interest. As also mentioned, we have had motorcycle racing on our radar as a high-growth opportunity and again we are just a couple more steps away in announcing a return to Pukekohe Park of this exciting sport. Various disciplines in motorsport are reliant on varying levels of circuit safety and ever-changing improvements. A key in us securing new events has been to focus on constant upgrades and making sure we meet the standards expected. Investment in the circuit over the past 12 months has been well received and we are starting to see reap the benefits in these investments. Another significant upgrade we are about to undertake is the installation of new safety cameras with a plan to install an additional 16. The technology in cameras is fast evolving and like other improvements, we need to keep up with industry standards. The motor racing team is still a small team with myself looking after the daily inquiries, driving new business and overseeing circuit licensing and health & safety. Our customer service team and grounds maintenance is looked after by Gary Stirling who has been with us now since 1st August 2018 and we now have a new team member Nick Benjamin also starting on 1st August.
TRAINING CENTRE BRYCE MILDON | TRACK MANAGER WOW, what a day at Lindauer Ladies Day this year, with over 260 ladies in the Oaks Lounge, there was a great atmosphere on course that was enjoyed by many.
BOYS DAY OUT
To see this crowd on a mid-week industry raceday is a huge achievement and we are thrilled with how the day ran. The feedback that was received from vendors, attendees and sponsors was all extremely positive, some saying one the best Ladies Day events New Zealand wide!
AT
The introduction of the Winter Fashion in the Field was certainly a highlight and the event brought along some well-regarded followers of the fashion industry. The Supreme Winner was Claire Hahn dressed in a beautiful vintage outfit, followed by Supreme Runner Up, Eleanor Campbell. This event was very well supported with many participants competing for the grand prize of a $1500 Diamond necklace, kindly sponsored by Michael Hill Jewellers Pukekohe.
THE RACES
SATURDAY 10 AUGUST
The function lounge looked beautiful as always thanks to our function center and the statement of the| stunning flower wall kindly sponsored by FROMpiece 11AM FREE GENERAL ADMISSION Stellar Backdrops really enhanced the look of the room. Ladies Day certainly had a$65 hugePP impact this year and OF we were PACKAGE OR TABLE 10 overwhelmed $600 by the growth of the event, we are now looking forward to seeing the ladies outfits take the stage in theThrilling Fashion inthoroughbred the Field on Counties Cup Day. racing
We are now well into winter and after a dry first half of the year the rain has now started to arrive! We have run our final race meeting for the season, overall we are happy with the way the track has raced for the majority of the season and we are hoping that next season we can find some more improvement with the track and hopefully carry on the upward trend. The training center was relatively quiet through June and early July, but horse numbers have started to pick up during the second half of July. During the autumn we done some renovation work on the number 1 grass to fix some minor issues, the track has had a good rest now and will be open again for use on August 1st. The trainers have been very patient whilst we have undertaken these works and we thank them for working with us during these improvements. Our next race meeting is on August 10th where we will race with the rail in true position, hopefully the weather Gods are kind to us between now and then! We are still on the lookout for a Turf Apprentice/Trainee and casual staff for tapping back duties, if you know of anyone that would be suitable for either of these roles please let us know.
Craft beer tasting Food to stoke the engine
$250 Membership Fee
Sign up to the 2019/2020 Oscar On Main Supporters Club and receive:
▪ Entry into the Grand Prize draw of the trip for two to the Gold Coast for a five-night stay at the Oscar on Main Resort ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Includes your 2019/2020 Membership with Counties Racing Club Two Supporters Club badges gaining you premium entry to our members lounge on all thoroughbred racedays for the 2019/2020 season Entry into a draw with twenty-four chances to win full naming and advertising rights to a race at one of our ‘Industry Day’ race meetings. Enjoy a complimentary raceday on Counties Racing Club on Wednesday 4th September. Bring along 3 guests and receive a light luncheon and beverage specials.
Entertainment and prizes
Book your tickets today PukekohePark.co.nz
REGISTRATION FORM
NAME ...........................................................................................................................................
WIN
A TRIP FOR 2 TO THE GOLD COAST
COMPANY NAME ..................................................................................................................... POSTAL ADDRESS ..................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................
24 Sponsorship Packages will be drawn at our Supporters Club Raceday on Wednesday 4th September as well as the Grand Prize draw of a trip for two to the Gold Coast for 5 nights including airfares, accommodation at Oscar On Main Beach Resort and airport transfers*. Counties Racing Club will also be suppling a complimentary light luncheon and beverage specials in our premium function lounge for you and your guests on this raceday.
PHONE ......................................................................................................................................... EMAIL ADDRESS .....................................................................................................................
PAYMENT OF $250 TO BE PAID DIRECTLY TO COUNTIES RACING CLUB: BNZ AUCKLAND 02 0100 0522957 000 PLEASE SEND ALL COMPLETED FORMS TO
OSCAR ON MAIN
*Terms and Conditions apply, please see our website for full details
Supporters Club RACEDAY
paxton@pukekohepark.co.nz Any queries can be sent directly to Paxton Thank you for supporting Counties Racing Club
Counties Cup Day
PukekohePark Presents
BIG LITTLE Christ mas PA R T Y
S AT U R DAY 2 3 R D N O V E M B E R
2 0 1 9 PAC KAG E S & PR I C I N G O A KS LO U N G E D I N I N G
DA N I E L L E B R U N M A R Q U E E
MINI MARQUEES
$190pp or table of 10 $1750
$165pp or table of 10 $1500
For our true racing enthusiasts – enjoy the best hospitality on offer in our exclusive Oaks Lounge, located in the Members Grandstand. Reserve your place for Pukekohe’s premier day of racing and enjoy visits from industry insiders to maximise your best bet for the day!
Dine in style in the exclusive raceday village with a reserved table in this premium outdoor marquee. Be treated to all day hospitality whilst sitting trackside. With spectacular views of the racing action, Fashion in the Field competition and entertainment throughout the day, the Daniel Le Brun Marquee is the perfect place to mix and mingle in style.
$1600 per marquee (Seats 10, additional tickets available for up to 4 guests per marquee @ $155pp)
FRI 13 DEC
Get your group together and book your private spot this Cup Day. In your own exclusive marquee in the racing village enjoy the racing action and entertainment in this great village atmosphere. The marquee seats 10 guests but has an additional bar learner out front, that can accommodate additional guests.
LIVE MUSIC | FUN & ENTERTAINMENT Tickets $80 or Table of 10 $750
MILDON AT HELM OF TRACK REVIVAL BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW www.PukekohePark.co.nz
Rave reviews and full fields have been music to the ears of Bryce Mildon, the track manager at Pukekohe Park. The track has been plagued by major drainage issues over the last 15 years and was unable to host its flagship Counties Cup meeting from 2004 to 2007 and again in 2014 and 2015. In less than four years’ time, the transformation has been remarkable. Pukekohe has been widely praised this season for the condition and fairness of its track, and field sizes at recent meetings speak for themselves. There were 127 starters across 10 races on May 3, and another 10-race programme on Thursday featured no fewer than 135 runners. “The feedback has been really good,” said Mildon, who has been track manager at Pukekohe since September. “The track’s still a bit of a work in progress after the problems it had a few years ago, but it’s definitely on the way up now and we’re pretty happy with it. “To be hearing such good things about the track, and for so many people to be willing to race their horses on it, that’s really good and encouraging.” Mildon has also started providing video updates on track conditions online, which is a common feature in Australia but less so on this side of the Tasman. “I think it’s a positive thing – anything that helps get information out there to the public,” he said. Mildon comes from a racing family. His brother Rhys is foreman for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh, and the pair’s grandfather Jim Mouat owned and trained the mighty winter galloper Danzapride – the winner of 15 races.
PA RT YZ ON E
PINK GIN PARTY
THE ULTIMATE PLACE TO BE THIS CUP DAY Early Bird Final Release 9 Mates & Me Bundle
SOLD OUT $70pp $600
If you are looking for a chilled and relaxed zone in the sun to hang with your squad, watch a bit of horse racing, listen to great music, enjoy fantastic food and perhaps a cool bevvie, this is definitely for you!
“I always went to the races as a kid, and I’d spend school holidays and weekends at the track with my grandfather,” he recalled. “When I left school, I started studying horticulture and also took a job as a gardener. My horticulture studies included some units on turf management, and that kind of started my interest in that side of things.
G R A N D STA N D G A Z E B O S
GENERAL ADMISSION
$300 for a 6m x 6m site (maximum 10 people per site). Admission tickets will need to be purchased separately at $10pp.
Admission | $10pp (14 and under free)
“Then I got a job at Matamata, where I worked for 10 years and became an assistant to Graeme Styles. I learned a lot there, Graeme was a great teacher. “Then I had six years in Australia, which was a great experience as well. It was really valuable to get a taste of how things work over there.” That Australian stint included a track management position at Pakenham in Victoria, which featured an all-weather surface – a particularly relevant experience as New Zealand begins to take steps in that direction. “We had a Polytrack at Pakenham, which was a bit different to anything I’d dealt with before and an interesting experience,” Mildon said. “They’re certainly an asset to the industry. They’re not there to replace the turf tracks, but they complement them really well. It’ll be interesting to see them
Relax and enjoy a day out with friends and family in our reserved picnic spots with elevated views of the track. Pack a picnic, bring a gazebo and watch the racing unfold.
introduced in New Zealand, and hopefully they’ll be received well.”
-NZ RACING DESK
Book your tickets today pukekohepark.co.nz
Enjoy a great day out with friends and family in the heart of your community, there will be a free family zone with entertainment for the kids! Strictly no BYO.